


Of Cold Steel

by Koilure



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, also i love nyx so he had to be in this, and it has a bad title too, and part of the plot, basically a cyberpunk 2077 au, but thats it, everything else is the same, i didn't know what to name itttt, i don't know how to summarize either, i've never written for ffxv before i'm sorry if its bad, only for the setting though, sorry :(
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 18:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18058175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koilure/pseuds/Koilure
Summary: Aldercapt just received the news today: the L.U.C.I.S. company has been growing in power over the years, a parasite in the making. This wouldn't do.Not at all.That damned family and its cursed company needs to go.





	Of Cold Steel

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, there! I was talking with someone about writing an AU of theirs and here it is! Well, the first part anyway, I felt like it needed to be separated.
> 
> That being said, I hope there aren't any mistakes, I kind of rushed the editing.
> 
> Enjoy :)

He felt the hand gently shaking his shoulder, trying to take him from the sweet and tantalizing pull of sleep.

Noctis shoved the hand off and drew the comforter above his head.

“Noct.” A modulated voice called his name.

It was only then that he poked his head out from the cover with one eye still closed, just then noticing his dad was sitting on the edge of the mattress.

“Noct,” Regis called again, “it’s time to get up.”

“Five more minutes…” Noctis muttered out, preparing to wrap himself once more when the blankets were cruelly taken from him. He sat up with a cry, “Dad!”

Regis let out a soft chuckle and found himself placing a hand on his son’s head. “We were going to go to LUCIS today, remember?” He smiled fondly as Noctis face took on a surprised look. He continued, “Drautos is coming around with the car in forty-five minutes. I do suggest you do something with you hair,” he ruffled the black hair that jutted out in multiple angles, “you always did have terrible bedhead.”

Noctis pushed down his hair as a faint blush dusted his cheeks and diverted his gaze. “Whatever,” he muttered while Regis took his leave.

 

Getting out of bed made out to be more of a difficult task than Noctis wanted.

 

His floor was freezing cold.

His back hurt.

And it was _way_ too early.

 

However, he was willing to forget about that last part. As it is, there was never much time for him and his dad to do something together for fun, especially when it came to LUCIS, so he enjoyed the moments when they came to light.

But…if he were being completely honest, even if his dad didn’t have to become the serious and just businessman that only looked for the good of his company, he still held himself to a high, almost untouchable, standard when in public. Noctis understood why he did, but it was weird, borderline uncomfortable, to see someone who was so gentle and caring with him be so cold to others.

By the time Noctis pulled his boots on, he heard a knock and Regis was standing in the doorway, asking him if he was ready. With a quick nod, he stood up to join him and they walked down to the parking garage where Drautos stood outside the car, his arms crossed and a brooding vibe that all but radiated off of him.

“Hello, Drautos,” said Regis, casually gesturing at the man that was propped up against the Regalia.

“Regis.” The man’s gravelly voice rang out in response and he opened the back door, “Noctis.”

“Thank you,” his dad spoke, nudging Noctis into the car after his son offered the man a small wave and slid seamlessly into the back of the car, Regis following behind him.

\- - -

The LUCIS Company building was less than a few blocks away but Noctis knew his dad had never been one for carelessness, even if it meant he spend a few minutes in a car, albeit a comfy one. Especially due to the position he was in; there were a lot of people in Insomnia who would quite kill for it and not think twice about it.

Aside from that, the short ride allowed him to mindlessly stare out the window while his dad conversed with whoever was driving them. Over the years he had learned relatively quick: if it was Nyx, the chat would be lively, always about his childhood home but with Drautos...well, sitting in a closed-off room without any doors or windows for hours would be more entertaining than the stale silence that plagued the car and its passengers.

It wasn’t long before they reached the front of LUCIS and Noctis almost forgot how intimidating the building looked: eighty-four floors of black and gold exterior, making the entire form sleek yet comforting to those who were welcomed and cold to those not. The slanted, glass floors that sat atop the three-conjoined towers glimmered brightly in the sunlight, casting flowing shadows around it. Only a few floors above the front entrance, was a sign bolted extensively to the wall it hung from proudly:

 

**L.U.C.I.S. INC.**

_For Prosthetic & Machinery_

 

He remembered the first time he had been brought here; an incredible feat that swiftly turned into a constant reminder of the responsibilities his dad held to the company. Noctis was brought out of his train of thought when the door opened on his side, his dad waiting for him.

“Coming, Noct?” Regis spoke clearly and began to ascend the stairs, the cane he dreaded using most times clicked against the cold metal, as if it tried to remind the man of his limitations.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said to himself quickening his pace to catch up. “So,” he began, “you never told me what I would be doing on this field trip.”

Regis smiled, “Well, I figured that you would be interested in observing the prosthetics research wing.” He turned around to see his son stop abruptly, his shoulders dropped with disbelief. “Am I wrong?”

“No-no!” Noctis excitedly replied, a renewed energy in his step. “Just, you’re serious?”

Regis continued on. “Of course. I know how much you enjoy it. You get a sparkle in your eye whenever you mention your findings.” He curtly nodded towards the security guarding the massive glass doors trapped beneath its metal frame. “It’s quite adorable.”

“Oh my god, Dad.” Noctis breathed out, his face partially hidden in his hands. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.” He mused and pressed the top button on the panel of the elevator.

“Still…”

“Fine, it’s cute.” Regis countered.

“Oh my god, that’s even worse.” The older man adjusted his hold on his cane, “What would you like me to call your interest then?”

Noctis leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his face red, “Preferably not anything like that!” He ground out. “It’s embarrassing.”

Regis stepped out of the elevator once the doors opened, “It shouldn’t be. After all I know many who would describe you as such.”

“Dad!” His only response was a soft snicker.

“I’m only joking, Noct,” he assured his son, tilting his head in thought, “partially, that is.”

Before Noctis could mumble out his retort, an older man with a balding head and clean, black suit made his way towards the pair. Jared, if he wasn’t mistaken.

“Mr. Caelum.” The elderly man crisply started, “I must inform you of a few interruptions that occured with the stockholders.” His brown eyes met blue. “It would mean your immediate attention.”

Noctis could see the slight frown that appeared on his dad’s face for only a second, as the next, the man simply nodded and turned to him.

“Excuse me, Noctis.” Regis said clearly, “I do hope you can find your way to the research wing without me.” He bobbed his head in confirmation, a small but pitiful smile tugging at his lips. His dad continued, “Then I will meet you there later on. Perhaps during lunch. I’ve heard there is a relatively new service not too far from here, I’m sure we could arrange something.”

“‘Course,” he guaranteed.

“Until later then.”

With that, Noctis made his way back to the elevator, grabbing his wallet out from the confines of his pocket. He flipped it open and took the thin keycard out, letting the slot above the main panel scan it, as only those with a higher level of access were allowed on the more primitive floors. After he was showing some interest into the company, his dad had (rather quickly) allowed him one, letting him visit whenever he pleased. And even though he never admitted it, it was pretty cool of him to do.

\- - -

Noctis marched his way into the prosthetics wing, his excitement threatening to burst from within him. He turned the corner, eyes focused on the pale walls before his shoulder rammed into something tall and sturdy.

“Woah-ho, easy there, little king.”

Only one person every called him that.

“Sorry, Nyx,” he replied shyly, his hand now scratched at the back of his head, an apologetic took on his features.

The older man let out a hearty laugh, “Nah, don’t worry about it.” He smoothed out his suit jacket and flattened out his tie. “What are you in such a hurry for?”

“Prosthetics!” Noctis replied, allowing a smile to lift his features.

“Oh, yeah?” Nyx questioned, “How about I walk with you? Drautos has me down here for the month.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Eh,” he shrugged, “you’d be saving me a lonely trip.”

“What about Libertus?” He asked, the two of them beginning their long walk down to the entrance. “Libs broke his foot a few days ago. He shouldn’t be here for a bit.”

“Libs?” He tried out the nickname but it felt foreign to him, “How could he break his foot? I thought you guys just mess around.”

Nyx placed a hand over his chest and sighed, “That hurt, little king, that hurt.”

Noctis snorted. “Am I wrong?”

He gave him a gentle check with his shoulder. “Hey now, we’re serious when we need to be.”

“Yeah, which is never.”

“‘Yeah, which is never’.” He mocked, unlocking the door in front of them and held his hand out to the side, “well, after you.” He offered the older man a short smile and stepped inside, Nyx following closely behind him.

“Hmm,” Nyx hummed out, “what would the heir of L.U.C.I.S. want to do here?”

“Nothing that important.”

“Mhm, I’m sure.”

Noctis pushed his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt, “It’s just interesting, is all. I find it cool how everything works.” He heard Nyx’s snort and whipped around. “What, Ulric?” He snapped weakly.

“Nothing, nothing,” the black-haired man said, dismissing his concern with rough hand, the faintest sign of a smirk hidden behind his deadpan. “You just got this little twinkle in your eye, it was cute.”

“Oh my god, not you too,” Noctis moaned.

Nyx raised an eyebrow but let it go.

 

They walked into an open section of the floor where a few stairs descended to the major hub of computers and working tables with spare sheets of metal and scraps left on them. Sounds of small scurrying feet came at them from the left.

Noctis, in his awe of the lab barely noticed the familiar poof of blond hair facing one of the empty computers. His eyes finally made their way to it and he tripped over his own feet, nearly taking an innocent tray of papers along with him. He had been expecting a few people to be here to work on their projects but he hadn’t expected this person.

 

Prompto Argentum.

Quite literally the best prosthetics and machinery expert in all of Insomnia.

_Here._

 

He felt his face flush, but Noctis couldn’t help himself. After all it was his role model, the guy who brought his interests into the subject without even realizing it, was here. Nyx at his side, he made his way to the man studying the screen in front of him and mumbled out a ‘hello’ before he could consider resisting the idea.

“Oh,” the blond turned, startled, “Mr. Caelum, I wasn’t expecting you.” He looked behind Noctis, “Hey there, Ulric.”

“Howdy.”

Noctis looked at the screen that presented itself temptatively, “What’re you working on?” He questioned.

“Oh, this?” Prompto answered, “It’s called SmartSkin. Basically it’s meant to mimic organic skin cells.”

“Really? Cool.” He couldn’t have stopped the smile even if he tried.

“That would’ve been helpful, Blondie,” Nyx added, feeling for the cool touch of his left arm.

“Sorry, Ulric. Besides, it could always be replaced, you know. If you want to go through all the surgery again.”

“No, I think I’ll pass, thanks.”

“How’d you lose the arm anyway?” Noctis questioned.

The man sighed audibly, “It’s a long story. And...” Nyx pulled his jacket sleeve back to check the time, ”one for another time. If Drautos doesn’t see me standing pretty by the halls, hell’s gonna break loose.” He placed a hand on Noctis’s shoulder and pushed. “Have fun, you nerds.”

The two of them watched as the older man walked back through the entrance. “So,” Noctis began, “how does ‘SmartSkin’ work?”

“Do you see these?” Prompto pointed to the screen that showed off a 3D rendered model of thin strips woven together, “These are nano-ribbons made out of polydimethylsiloxane, or PDMS. But, everyone calls it ‘silicone’ so they don’t seem like an intellectual ass. Anyway, these,” he brought his attention back to the monitor, his finger dragging towards a small yellow chip that frequented the ribbons, “are capacitors. They can detect levels of humidity while these,” the researcher gestured to a thin, metallic bar that followed the pattern, “are the sensors that, after being attached to the muscles, send electrical signals to the brain when something is hot or cold, or even when the prosthetic is being stretched.”

The man rolled away from the computer desk with his arms stretched above his head. “It works really well when the body part is only partially amputated but…only problem comes from the sense of touch and actually transmitting signals to the brain.”

Noctis crossed his arms in thought, “Couldn’t you just have the electrical signals displaced over a wider area than just strictly the brain?”

Prompto observed him with a soft smile, “That’s what I thought too.” He laughed when Noctis’s eyes gleamed with praise, “Unfortunately, after the first test failed, that didn’t work out too well either.”

“How?”

“Let me show you,” Prompto stood up, Noctis close behind him, and made his way to a large, walled off, table that read ‘Lab Rats’ on the side. He took one of the rats out, holding it with calculated hands and placed it in a smaller, clear container.

The rat immediately started sniffing around the new area but the small metal skeleton on its hind legs that dragged it down inhibited much movement.

Prompto then reached for the tablet that sat under the testing area and tapped it a few times before focusing on Noctis again. “So, this little guy has our current software attached to its brain, which was a tedious task in itself, so don’t ask how long that took. But, when I press this” he tapped again and the rat sprung to life with the use of the now-working skeleton, “it’s legs become functional again. But, here’s when the issues come into play.” He turned his hand in a clockwork motion over a large dial with numbers closing in on it on the tablet, “over time the amount of strain that the signals expose the muscles to begins to overload after a few hours.”

The rat began to squeal and a faint burning smell wafted from it.

In seconds, it’s squeal became terribly loud and Noctis turned away from it, as if attempting to block out the rat’s fate.

With a final scream, it fell down limp, it’s tail still twitching.

“That’s what happens,” Prompto broke the dead silence, placing the tablet on the table and snatched the cloth that sat next to the container. He picked up the dead rat and wrapped the fabric around it. “Those signals end up burning the brain until it causes a small explosion.”

“That’s horrible,” was all he dared say, looking at the container that had a new grave and the rat bundled in a warmth it would never feel.

“It is what it is, but maybe you could help out with it.”

Noctis pushed the thought of the rat to the back of his head. “Really?”

“Of course. You seem to know an awful lot about the things we research and I could use another head.”

\- - -

After spending an hour and a half out with his dad for lunch, it was almost six o’clock before Prompto halted their work and sent the spare few there home for the day. While the man closed the lab down, he sent Noctis on a mission to rescue any scrap that might have been forgotten but he hadn’t found much except for a few tools left out on the tabletops and before he knew it, Prompto was ushering him out towards the halls, locking the precious area from potential prying eyes.

Their trek back to the lobby was a rather quiet one compared to how the were back at the research hub.

“You know,” Prompto broke the stubborn again, “if you ever wanted to learn more about anything - prosthetics wise anyway - I would be happy to lend my service.”

Noctis looked at him as though greater words have never been spoken to him. “Really?” He asked.

“Well, yeah, you seem pretty into the whole thing, might as well help you along your journey through the gory parts of it.” The blond pulled out a strip of paper from the bag he held and unclipped a pen from the breast pocket, quickly writing on it against the wall. “Today was only a small taste of what we do.” He spoke clearly as he wrote. When he finished, he handed the paper to him and tucked the pen back into its pocket, “My apartment is pretty messy,” he let out a pitiful laugh, “so, just message me before you stop by.”

Noctis risked looking at the paper in case it was just a cruel joke but was pleasantly surprised when he was met with square handwriting for a number and address. “I-I definitely will.” He stuttered.

“Good.” He finished, a smirk plastered on his face. “You have a good night, Mr. Caelum.”

“You too!”

\- - -

The cold hit Noctis in mere seconds, sending a violent chill to travel up his spine.

It was that time of year, where snow covered the rooftops and made quick work of the uneven sidewalks now slicked with ice. While there was a certain beauty in the scenes that it made, Noctis despised it nonetheless, but it didn’t matter now. He was too excited from the exchange he had just had with his role model.

He pushed his hoodie up and let himself be lost in blissful thought as he walked through the metal city.

 

After all, there was no harm in taking the long way home.

 

Noctis crossed the road in a light jog and kept straight. He let his gaze wander across the closing shops until he found himself face to face with the Citadel.

It was an impressive building, even more so than LUCIS possibly ever could be. Daunting steps led to the edifice marked by the floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded it. Four towers hugged the inner corners of the base in which each stretched towards the sky, only to be connected by bridges in the middle. The walls that guarded the entire structure from the rampant streets of Insomnia intimidated anyone who came close to it.

All in all, the entirety of it gave off the same inaccessible vibe as the man living in it did: Iedolas Aldercapt, a terrifyingly old man who decided the best thing for his shriveled heart was to rule an entire country that had more gangs and corrupt politicians than anyone could count.

How the man was still alive and kicking was a mystery to Noctis as he’d only seen the elderly man on through broadcasts but even then, his frailness could be easily seen.

He rounded the corner, his head down when he could have sworn he saw something in the corner of his eye.

 

No, less some  _thing_ and more some _one_.

 

Noctis fought the urge to look back at the stranger but if the sudden and uncomfortable feeling he had just received, it would be best not to, his instincts all but screamed for him not to. So he listened.

For now.

But, it so happened that there was another person who turned the same corner as he did; no big deal, it was a big city and with that came a lot of apartments and a rather enormous population. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes burning holes in the back of his head. He continued on no less, albeit more tense than before. It was already getting dark and everyone around him had begun to head home.

He was sure he was just being paranoid. The guy was just going home.

At least that's what he thought until he made another left towards his destination and the stranger followed, agonizingly close now and Noctis practically felt the air sucked out of him and the dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach take over.

And...holy shit.

 

 

He was being followed.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun Fact: the entire part of prosthetics (except for Noct's comment, I made that up!) is actually a thing that is being experimented with.
> 
> Oh and Nyx calling Noct 'Little King' was from a series I can't remember but! I really loved the idea of it so I had to.


End file.
